A Guide to The Various Meditation Postures

Since ancient times, people have practiced meditation for the numerous benefits it offers. Incorporating meditation into your everyday life could make a huge difference in your mindset and attitude.

Almost all meditative practices teach that the spine must remain straight and slumping is not encouraged. The explanation for this is that sitting upright encourages the movement of your spiritual energy. This is considered to be your life force.

A straight back is essential to most of the meditation traditions, and is a standard component of the various postures used in this practice. Here’s a look at a few of them.

1. Seated posture. The person sits erect while keeping the back straight. Spine and head are aligned and straight. Thighs are parallel with the ground. Hands are placed comfortably on the knees or chair arms.

2. Cross legged position. This is one of the most popular positions, and includes the lotus position.

3. Kneeling posture. The individual is on the floor in a kneeling position. The buttocks rest on the heels and toes, which are placed side by side. Hands rest on the thighs.

4. Lying down posture. This is also called the corpse position or, in yoga, savasna. The person lies down on the floor keeping the legs unbent and at ease. This posture isn’t that common since it so closely resembles the sleeping position. The individual can occasionally nod off. This is better as a means of reducing stress more so than for meditating.

In addition to these postures, there are several gestures and movements that can be incorporated into the practice of meditation. Among these are hand gestures called Mudras. A theological meaning is at the root of these gestures. Founded on the yogic school of thought, they might affect the consciousness. A typical example is the placement of hands in Buddhist meditation. With the thumbs touching, the right hand is positioned on top of the left hand.

Integrating assorted repetitive actions like chanting, deep breathing or humming also assists in bringing on a state of meditation. There are also those who use walking meditation. It’s common to keep the eyes closed or partially open while meditating. However, Soto Zen practitioners perform their meditation with their eyes wide open in front of a wall.

To achieve the advantages of meditation, stick to the advice and training of the kind of meditation you have chosen to practice. Remember that acceptance and persistence are necessary in order to have success. This could be of help at times when you find difficulty in meditating, and it will also improve your concentration in daily life.